explanations...exp: a brahmin is a member of the highest caste or ‘status’ in the indian caste...

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1. Ans: B

Exp: The settlement is divided into two sections, one smaller but higher and the other much larger but lower. Archaeologists designate these as the Citadel and the Lower Town respectively. The Citadel owes its height to the fact that buildings were constructed on mud brick platforms. It was walled, which meant that it was physically separated from the Lower Town. The Lower Town was also walled.

There is no system of strait drainage at Kalibangan. Doorways and windows rarely opened out into the main street, but faced side lanes.

2. Ans: D

Exp: An Aryan chief who empowered a ‘dasyu’ was called Trasadasyu. The Aryan chief was soft towards the dasas, but strongly hostile to the dasyus. The term dasyuhatya, slaughter of the dasyus, is repeatedly mentioned in the Rigveda. The dasyus possibly worshipped the phallus and did not keep cattle for dairy products.

3. Ans: C

4. Ans: B

Exp: Mahmud Shah Tughlaq was the last sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty to rule the Islamic Delhi Sultanate. During his reign in 1398, Amir Timur the Chagtai ruler invaded India. He carried away with him a large booty from Delhi and the surrounding area. Soon after the invasion, the Tughlaq dynasty came to an end.

5. Ans: C

Ibrahim AdIl Shah II composed Kitab-i-Nauras in which songs were set to various musical modes or ragas. The songs were in praise of Hindu deities and Muslim saints. He freely invoked in his songs the goddess of music and learning, Saraswati. He accorded patronage to all including Hindu saints and temples.

Khusrow is regarded as the “father of qawwali” (a devotional music form of the Sufis in the Indian

subcontinent), and introduced the ghazal style of song.

6. Ans: B

Exp: The salient features are:

1. Gandhara school of art there was dominance of lively statues of Gautama Buddha. His existence was shown only by symbols such as foot-prints, the Bodhi-tree, a vacant seat or the umbrella.

2. In this school a great care was taken to show the physical features, muscles and moustaches, etc. of a figure in as natural a way as was possible.

3. A great importance was attached to refineness and polish in the Gandhara School of Art.

4. The technique and forms applied were Greek in nature but the ideas, inspirations and subjects were all Indians.

5. The Gandhara art was mostly used to make statues and images of Lord Buddha. But from a study of certain specimens of this school that are now placed in Lahore, Calcutta and Peshawar museums, we can say that sometimes this art was used to depict certain scenes from Buddha’s life and also to make statues of the Kushan rulers.

6. Most of the specimens of this school were executed in stone but the discovery of a large number of images in stucco, cement, terracotta and clay, show that along with stone, sometimes stucco, cement, terracotta and clay were also used for making statues, images and sculptures concerning the Buddhist faith

7. The chief centre of the Gandharva School of Art was no doubt Gandhara itself but the discovery of Gandhara specimens from Afghanistan and Taxila goes to prove that this Indo-Greek art flourished over a vast region.

8. The main material: Metal such as the gold used in the Kanishka reliquary from Shahji ki

ExplanationsHistory

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Dheri. Stone wherever used is usually blue or grey schist and slate. Stucco, especially busts of Greek and Roman deities and princes. Interestingly these were painted, with red colour being used for the lips and black for the eyes and hair.

7. Ans: D

8. Ans: B

Exp: The Bahmani kingdom was founded by Alauddin Hasan in 1347. After his coronation, he assumed the title of Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah (1347-58), it is from this title that the kingdom was called the Bahmani kingdom. The most important step taken by him was the induction of Hindus in the administration on a large scale.

Vijayanagar military employeed both Muslims and Hindus.

9. Ans: C

Exp. Lal Darwaza Masjid of Jaunpur, was built in 1447 by Queen Rajye Bibi and dedicated to Sayyid Ali Dawood Qutubbudin a saint.

10. Ans: A

Exp. Sakhi Kandhei (Also sakhi kundhei, sakhi nata) is a string puppetry show popular in Odisha, especially in the Kendrapara district. Wooden dolls are tied to strings which are controlled by pulling and releasing the strings. Different expression by pulling the strings narrate tales from the Puranas and modern social life. A group of artists perform music and give background voice for the narration of stories.

11. Ans.: B

Exp. Dalai Lama is also considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, a Bodhisattva of Compassion. The name is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning «ocean» or «big» and the Tibetan word (bla-ma) meaning “master, guru”.

12. Ans: B

Exp: Dagh and Chehra System was introduced by Alauddin Khilji.

Sher Shah was a good general and administrator. He introduced a new currency, a silver coin known as ‘Rupia’. He reduced custom duties and built an excellent connection of roads, including Grand

Trunk Road in Bihar. Sher Shah was a secular ruler who practised tolerance and welfare.

13. Ans: C

Exp: Muhammad Bin Tughlaq started distributing daily food to the people of Delhi. He also established a loan system to the peasants. He created a department of Agriculture named as “Diwan-i-Kohi“. He established a “Famine Code” to relive the victims of Famine.Under Iqta System, the land of the empire was divided into several large and small tracts called Iqta and assigned these Iqtas to his soldiers, officers and nobles. In the beginning, an Iqta was based upon salary. Later, under Firoz Shah Tughlaq it became hereditary.

14. Ans: C

Exp: An amalaka, is a segmented or notched stone disk, usually with ridges on the rim, that sits on the top of a Hindu temple’s shikhara or main tower. According to one interpretation, the amalaka represents a lotus, and thus the symbolic seat for the deity below. Another interpretation is that it symbolizes the sun, and is thus the gateway to the heavenly world.

15. Ans: D

Exp: In the early 18th century, Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five Jantar Mantars in total, in New Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi; they were completed between 1724 and 1735.The jantars have like Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash, Ram Yantra and Niyati Chakra; each of which are used to for various astronomical calculations. The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.

16. Ans: B

Exp. Ikat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. Single Ikat is a process in which either the warp yarns or the weft are dyed. The second procedure of combined Ikat has both warp yarns and the weft being used together in different parts of the fabric.

17. Ans: A

Exp. Umakant Gundecha and Ramakant Gundecha, known as the Gundecha Brothers, are leading Dagarvani dhrupad singers. They always sing together. So together they have been awarded Padmashree for 2012 in the field of Art-

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Indian Classical Music - Vocal - Madhya Pradesh.

18. Ans: A

Exp: Increasing pride of birth, characteristic of feudal society, and the accompanying self-sufficient village economy, which prevented both spatial and occupational mobility, gave rise to thousands of castes in India during the early medieval Period.

Endogamy is the practice of marrying within a specific social group, caste or ethnic group, rejecting those from others as unsuitable for marriage or other close personal relationships. Violation of varna endogamous rules occurred. Gotra exogamous rules were not violated.

19. Ans: A

Exp: The Maitraka dynasty ruled western

India (now Gujarat) from approximately 475 to approximately 776 CE from their capital at Vallabhi. With the sole exception of Dharapatta (the fifth king in the dynasty), who followed the Mithraic mysteries, they were followers of Shaivism.

Maitrakas set up a Vallabhi University which came to be known far and wide for its scholastic pursuits and was compared with the Nalanda University. They came under the rule of Harsha of Vardhana dynasty in the mid-seventh century, but retained local autonomy, and regained their independence after Harsha›s death. After repeated attacks by Arabs from the sea, the kingdom had weakened considerably. The dynasty ended by 783 CE. Apart from legendary accounts which connect fall of Vallabi with the Tajjika (Arab) invasions, no historical source mention how the dynasty ended.

20. Ans: D

Exp: A Brahmin is a member of the Highest caste or ‘status’ in the Indian caste system. Priests and scholars are classified as Brahmins and are believed to be twice born. All Brahmins are exempt from taxes and could not be sentenced to death or tortured. A Brahmins main role in life is

to teach Vedas and perform religious ceremonies. Brahmins are important because they teach and give spiritual guidance.The Vaishyas are the third class in the Caste system. They were made up of mainly merchants. The Indian society relied heavily on their money. The Vaishyas paid the heaviest tax of all the classes.

Buddhists were against the animal sacrifices.

GENEALOGICAL TABLE OF THE MAITRAKAS OF VALABHI

(19) Siladitya–VI, Dharubhata

* The numbering of Siladitya differs when SIladitya, the elder son of Derabhatta, is mentioned as Siladiya II. Subsequent rulers follows like Siladitya II becomes III.

(18) Siladitya–V

(17) Siladitya–IV

(16) Siladitya–III

(15) Siladitya–II

(13) Dhruvasena III(14) Kharagraha II, Dharmaditya

Siladitya*

(12) Dharasena IVDerabhatta

(11) Dharasena II, Baladitya

(10) Dharasena III

(9) Kharagraha I(8) Siladitya 1, Dharmaditya

(7) Dharasena II

(5) Dharapatta

(6) Guhasena

(4) Dhruvasena 1(3) Dronasimha (2) Dharasena 1

(1) Bhatarka

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21. Ans: C

22. Ans: A

Exp: Mahavira organised the Sangha to spread his teachings. He admitted both men and women in the Sangha, which consisted of both monks and lay followers. The first Jain Council was convened at Pataliputra by Sthulabahu, the leader of the Digambaras, in the beginning of the 3rd century BC. The second Jain Council was held at Vallabhi in 5th century AD. The final compilation of Jain literature called twelve Angas was completed in this council.

Mahavira organized the Sangha to spread his teachings. He admitted both men and women in to Sangha, which consisted of both monks and lay followers. The spread of Jainism was due to the dedicated work of the members of the Sangha. The Jain Sangha remained united for approximately two centuries after Mahavir’s death. But it could not maintain its unity for a longer period. It split during Mauryan age and two sects came into existence. Bhadrabahu, the greatest ever exponent of Jain philosophy, composed Kalpasutra which is the most authentic treatise on the rise and development of Jainism from its origin to his time. He left Magadha for Mysore. About 300 BCE Sthulabhadra called the first Jain council in which the Jain canons were compiled. When Bhadrababhu returned to Magadha, he refused to acknowledge the leadership of Sthulabhadra. The Jain Sangha was then divided into two parts – Digambara and Svetambara. The followers of Bhadrabahu who remained naked and did not wear clothes came to be known as Digambaras, while the followers of Sthulabhadra had adopted white dress came to be known as Svetambaras.

23. Ans: C

Exp. Ajanta Paintings consists of Mural and fresco paintings both. Miniature paintings were introduced by foreign invaders and rulers which shows Persian influence.

24. Ans: A

Exp. Lalitavistara Sūtra is a Mahayana Buddhist sutra that tells the story of Gautama Buddha from the time of his descent from Tushita until his first sermon in the Deer Park near Varanasi. The term Lalitavistara has been translated «The Play in Full» or «Extensive Play,» referring to the

Mahayana view that the Buddha’s last incarnation was a «display» or «performance» given for the benefit of the beings in this world.

25. Ans: C

Exp. Pietre dure , called parchin kari or parchinkari in the Indian Subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images. It is considered a decorative art. The stonework, after the work is assembled loosely, is glued stone-by-stone to a substrate after having previously been «sliced and cut in different shape sections; and then assembled together so precisely that the contact between each section was practically invisible». Stability was achieved by grooving the undersides of the stones so that they interlocked, rather like a jigsaw puzzle, with everything held tautly in place by an encircling ‹frame›. Many different colored stones, particularly marbles, were used, along with semiprecious, and even precious stones. . It was introduced for the first time during the period of Jahangir. . It was used in the tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daula for the first time.

26. Ans: B

Exp: In general, women of the Gupta Empire were viewed as inferior to the men. However, they were still respected and were viewed as equals to the female gods such as Saraswati.• Women could be educated in the arts

(primarily in music and poetry). They were not, however, allowed to be educated in religious practices or read any sacred texts.

• Over the duration of the Gupta Empire, there was a decline of the status of women, primarily because of the rise of a new, non-agricultural middle class.

• Women were not allowed to own property, and anything that she did own could be considered the property of her husband and father.

• At any given point in her life, a woman was always subject to the will of a man.

• Women were married at 6 or 7 years old to ensure virginity and chastity. Since she lived with her husband, he could raise her to be the kind of wife he wanted.

• There were exceptions to this social system. Some women were even a part of government.

27. Ans: C

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28. Ans: A

Exp: Du-aspah sih-aspah system: The term du-aspah sihaspah literally means trooper with two or three horses. Under this system, selected nobles could be allowed to maintain a large quota of soldiers, without making any change in their Jat rank. It implied that a mansabdar or noble holding du-aspah sih-aspah rank had to maintain double the quota of troopers indicated by his sawar rank. They were paid accordingly. It was introduced by Jahangir.

29. Ans: B

Exp. Hindu temple is a Panchayatana one when the main shrine is surrounded by four subsidiary shrines. The origin of the name are the Sanskrit words Pancha(five) et ayatana (containing).

Examples of Panchayatana temples

• Kandariya Mahadeva Temple in Khajuraho

• Brahmeswara Temple in Bhubaneswar

• Jagdish Temple in Udaipur

• Lakshmana Temple in Khajuraho

• Lingaraja Temple in Bhubaneswar

Generally, the Hindu temple are built along a west-east axis. So the four subsidiary shrines are at the north-east, south-east, south-west

Dashavatara Temple is an early 6th century Vishnu Hindu temple located at Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh in the Betwa Rivervalley in north-central India. It has a simple, one cell square plan and is one of the earliest Hindu stone temples still surviving today Built in the Gupta Period, the Dashavatara Temple at Deogarh shows the ornate Gupta style architecture.

30. Ans: C

31. Ans: C

Exp: The Kharosthi script (also known as ‹Indo-Bactrian› script) was a writing system originally developed in present-day northern Pakistan, sometime between the 4th and 3rd century BCE. Kharosthi was employed to represent a form of Prakrit (Middle Indic), an Indo-Aryan language. It had a wide but irregular distribution along northern Pakistan, eastern Afghanistan, northwest India, and Central Asia.

It was also in use in Bactria, the Kushan Empire, Sogdiaand along the Silk Road, where there is

some evidence it may have survived until the 7th century in the remote way stations of Khotanand Niya.

The Bakhshali manuscript is a mathematical text written on birch bark that was found in 1881 in the village of Bakhshali, Mardan(near Peshawar in present-day Pakistan). It is notable for being “the oldest extant manuscript in Indian mathematics”, with portions having been carbon-dated to AD 224–383 while other portions have been carbon-dated to as late as AD 885–993. It contains the earliest known Indian use of a zero symbol. It is written in Sanskrit with significant influence of local dialects.

32. Ans: D

Exp. Padmasambhava also known as Guru Rinpoche, was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist master. Although there was a historical Padmasambhava, little is known of him apart from helping the construction of the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet at Samye, at the behest of Trisong Detsen. A number of legends have grown around Padmasambhava’s life and deeds, and he is widely venerated as a “second Buddha” by adherents of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, the Himalayan states of India.

33. Ans: D

Exp. In Vitarka mudra, the circle formed by the index finger and thumb symbolizes the flow of information and energy. This mudra is most often associated with the Buddha, representing the transmission of his wisdom and used when explaining his teachings.Varadamudra is a mudra, and it indicates a gesture by the hand and symbolizes dispensing of boons.Uttarabodhi mudra is a yogic hand gesture of enlightenment.Karana mudra is a yogic hand gesture that helps to dispel negativity, anxiety, fear and depression as well as enhance feelings of happiness.

34. Ans: A

Exp. Martand Sun Temple is a Kashmiri Hindu temple dedicated to Surya and built during the 8th century CE. Martand is another Sanskrit name for the Hindu Sun-god. The temple is located five miles from Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir. Martand Sun Temple was built by the third ruler of the Karkota Dynasty, Lalitaditya Muktapida, in the 8th century CE.

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Katarmal Surya Temple is situated inside the the thick deodars forest of Kumaon hills near Almora. Surya temple of Katarmal is an monument of national importance and noted for its magnificent carved pillars and wooden doors.

Surya Pahar is an ancient sun worship center and the complex has several rock-cut Shivalingas,sculpture of twelve-armed Vishnu and remains of the Ganesha and Hari Hara. The Sun Temple is located near Goalpara town and one of the least known archaeological site in Assam.

35. Ans: C

Exp:

Central Department FunctionDiwan-i-Risalat Department of appealsDiwan-i-arz Department of MilitaryDiwan-i-Bandagan Department of slavesDiwan-i-Qaza-i-Mamalik Department of justiceDiwan-i-Ishtiaq Department of pensionsDiwan-i-Mustakhraj Department of arrearsDiwan-i-Khairat Department of charityDiwan-i-kohi Department of agricultureDiwan-i-insha Department of correspondence

36. Ans: C

37. Ans: C

Exp. Avalokiteśvara or Padmapani is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. This bodhisattva is variably depicted, described and portrayed in different cultures as either male or femaleIn Tibet, he is known as Chenrezik, “. In Chinese Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara has evolved into the somewhat different female figure Guanyin. In Japan this figure is known as Kanzeon or Kannon.

38. Ans: A

Exp: Rana Sanga & Daulat Khan Lodhi invited Babur to India to first againt Ibrahim Lodi.

39. Ans: B

Exp: Main Features of the Mansabdari System:1. The king himself appointed the mansabdars.

He could enhance the mansab, lower down it or remove it.

2. A mansabdar could be asked to perform any civil or military service.

3. There were 33 categories of the Mansabdars. The lowest mansabdar commanded 10 soldiers and the highest 10,000 soldiers. Only the princes of the royal family and most important Rajput rulers were given a mansab of 10,000.

4. A mansabdar was paid his salary in cash.

5. The salary due to the soldiers was added to the personal salary of the mansabdar. Sometimes for paying the salaries to the soldier, a jagir was given to the mansabdar. But the revenue was realised by officers and necessary adjustments made.

6. In addition to meeting his personal expenses, the mansabdar had to maintain out of his” salary a stipulated quota of horses, elephants, camels and mules and carts.

40. Ans: C

41. Ans: B

Exp: Muhammad Ghori is known to have adopted the seated goddess Lakshmi type of the coins of Gahadavalas for circulation in the Gahadavala territories. He got stamped the figure of Goddess Lakshmi on his coins and had his name inscribed in Nagari Characters.

42. Ans: B

Exp: South Korea and Indian temple town Ayodhya has two millennia-old ties which were discovered in last decade. South Koreans discovered that a Princess or Queen of Ayodhya (Suriratna) was married to Korean King Suro in the first century CE. Suro was the King of Kimhay kingdom or the present Korea. The Princess was married to the Korean King at the age of 16. The Koreans believe that the Princess was the mother of the descendants who unified various

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Korean kingdoms in the 7th century CE. Since the first century CE her descendants prospered and became the largest clan in Korea, known as the Karak, whose members had been highly distinguished people.

43. Ans: D

Exp: Virupaksha temple, built by Queen Lokamahadevi, was originally called Lokeshwara. This temple is built in the southern Dravida style and is the largest in the enclosure. It has a massive gateway and several inscriptions. Virupaksha temple also served as a model for the Rashtrakuta ruler to carve out the great Kailasa at Ellora.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus is renowned throughout the Catholic world, this cathedral is India’s first Minor Basilica, and is considered as one of the best examples of baroque architecture in India. The layout follows simple Renaissance norms while the detailing and decoration is unabashed Baroque.

The Bara Imambara, Lucknow was built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784 and the structure shows the mixture of Rajput and Mughal architectures with Gothic influences. The hall is one of the largest of its kind in the world without any external support of wood, iron, or stone beams. The roof has been put together with interlocking bricks without using a beam or a girder. Hence, it is viewed as a unique achievement of architecture.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi: It is said that once Lord Shiva came in the dream of Rani Ahalya Bai Holkar of Indore. She, being a devotee of Lord Shiva, got the current temple built in 1777.

44. Ans: C

Exp: An important landmark in the cultural history of medieval India was the silent revolution in society brought about by a galaxy of socio-religious reformers, a revolution known as the Bhakti Movement. This movement was responsible for many rites and rituals associated with the worship of God by Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs of Indian subcontinent. For example, Kirtan at a Hindu Temple, Qawaali at a Dargah (by Muslims), and singing of Gurbani at a Gurdwara are all derived from the Bhakti movement of medieval India (800-1700). The leader of this Hindu revivalist movement was Shankaracharya, a great thinker and a distinguished philosopher. And this movement was propounded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Namadeva, Tukaram, Jayadeva. The

movement’s major achievement was its abolition of idol worship.

The leader of the bhakti movement focusing on the Lord as Rama was Ramananda.

Sri Ramanuja Acharya was an Indian philosopher and is recognized as the most important saint of Sri Vaishnavism. Ramananda brought to North India what Ramanuja did in South India. He raised his voice against the increasing formalism of the orthodox cult and founded a new school of Vaishnavism based on the gospel of love and devotion. His most outstanding contribution is the abolition of distinctions of caste among his followers.

45. Ans: D

Exp: The Mehrauli Iron Pillar was originally placed on a hill near the Beas and was brought to Delhi by a King of Delhi. This pillar credits Chandragupta with conquest of the Vanga Countries by his battling alone against the confederacy of the enemies united against him. It also credits him for conquest of Vakatakas in a fight that ran across seven mouths of Sindhu. This pillar was established by Chandragupta-II of Gupta dynasty as Vishnupada in the honor of Lord Vishnu.

Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, visited India during the reign of Harshavardhana.

46. Ans: B

Exp. Pallavi is the thematic line of a song in carnatic music. It is usually one cycle long and repeated twice in order to give the percussionist the idea of the chosen taalam. Sometimes it is repeated a few more times using different phrases of the Rāgam to which the song is set.

Tillana or thillana is a rhythmic piece in Carnatic music that is generally performed at the end of a concert and widely used in classical indian dance performances. A Tillana uses tala-like phrases in the pallavi and anupallavi, and lyrics in the charanam.

47. Ans: B

Exp: Megasthenes states that there were no slaves in India, but the Arthashastra attests to the existence of slavery in contemporary India, mainly in agricultural operations.

48. Ans: B

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49. Ans: C

Exp: Shuddadvaita is the “purely non-dual” philosophy propounded by Vallabhacharya (1479-1531 CE), the founding philosopher and guru of the Vallabhā sampradāya (“tradition of Vallabha”) or Puśtimārg (“The path of grace”), a Hindu Vaishnava tradition focused on the worship of Krishna.

50. Ans: C

Exp: The Mudrarakshasa is a Sanskrit-language play by Vishakhadatta that narrates the ascent of the king Chandragupta Maurya to power in India.

51. Ans: B

Exp. Usina is top knot of hair, urna is mole. They along with elongated ears were indigenous. Head like Greek God and heavy folds of the robe are werstern style.

52. Ans: A

Exp. Mathura art refers to a particular school of Buddhist art, which centered on the city of Mathura, in central northern India, during the period in which Buddhism flourished in India.It uses red sandstone. The figures do not have moustaches and beards (it was in Gandhara Art).

The initial images of the Buddha and the Bodhisattva are happy and fleshy figures with little spirituality about them. The Mathura School of arts prided themselves on creating images of Buddha and they also made statues of many gods and goddesses such as Jain Tirthankaras.

53. Ans. B

Exp. Important features of Nagara style temple which is prevalent in North India are:-

1. Sikhara above sanctum.2. Curvilinear centred over the sanctum, also

straight-edged pyramidal.3. Sacred pools, fewer pillared mandapas in

temple grounds (separate dharmashala), prakara walls rare (e.g. Odisha after 14th century), single or multiple entrances into temple.

4. In elevation, Shikhara gradually inclines inwards in a convex curve.

54. Ans: D

Exp. Adi Sankaracharya is venerated as the most important teacher of Advaita VedAnta, as he

wrote commentaries to the basic scriptural texts, and placed the living advaita tradition on a firm footing. Before Sankaracharya time, the tradition was passed down mainly through oral instruction.

Advaita is the way of searching god within you and everybody else and try to achieve bliss by knowing that god. This was mainly preached by Shankara

Dvaita Vedanta is a sub-school in the Vedanta tradition of Hindu philosophy. Alternatively known as Bhedavāda, Tattvavāda and Bimbapratibimbavāda, Dvaita Vedanta sub-school was founded by the 13th-century scholar Madhvacharya. The Dvaita Vedanta school believes that God (Vishnu, supreme soul) and the individual souls (jīvātman) exist as independent realities, and these are distinct Vishisthadvaita is very similar to advaita though it looks for more than the vedic knowledge to reach that god within you. Essentially, in this form, it is Vishnu, the preserver believed to be in you. It was preached by Ramanuja.

55. Ans: C

Exp. Thevaram denotes the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai, the twelve-volume collection of Śaiva devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil poets of the 7th century, the Nayanars - Sambandar, Tirunavukkarasar and Sundarar.The singing of Tevaram is continued as a hereditary practise in many Shiva temples in Tamil Nadu.

56. Ans: C

Exp. Guru Nanak (29 November 1469 – 10 October 1539) was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Kartik Pooranmashi, the full-moon day in the month of Katak,

Kabir (1440-1518) was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings, according to some scholars, influenced Hinduism’s Bhakti movement.

Dadu Dayal (1544–1603) was a sant from Gujarat, India. “Dadu” means brother, and “Dayal” means “the compassionate one”.

He was reputedly found by an affluent business man floating on the river Sabarmati. He later moved to Naraina (city), near Jaipur Rajasthan,

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where he gathered around himself a group of followers, forming a sect that became known as the Dadupanth.

Tukaram, was a 17th-century Hindu poet and sant of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra. He was part of the egalitarian, personalized Varkari devotionalism tradition. Tukaram is best known for his devotional poetry called Abhanga and community-oriented worship with spiritual songs known as kirtans. His poetry was devoted to Vitthala or Vithoba, an avatar of Hindu god Vishnu.

Adi Shankara was an early 8th century Indian philosopher and theologian who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta He is credited with unifying and establishing the main currents of thought in Hinduism.

57. Ans: C

Exp: The Delhi Sultanate was a Muslim sultanate based mostly in Delhithat stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). Five dynasties ruled over the Delhi Sultanate sequentially: the Mamluk dynasty (1206–1290), the Khalji dynasty (1290–1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451), and the Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).

Qutb al-Din Aibak, a former Turkic Mamluk slave of Muhammad Ghori, was the first sultan of Delhi. The death of Ibrahim Lodi ended the Delhi Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire replaced it.

Delhi Sultanate never reduced Hindu chiefs to unarmed impotence or established an exclusive claim to allegiance. The sultan was served by a heterogeneouselite of Turks, Afghans, Khaljīs, and Hindu converts; he readily accepted Hindu officials and Hindu vassals.

58. Ans: D

59. Ans: D

Exp: The Sultans of Delhi were not head of a religion but only head of their state. But their primary duty was the observance of the laws of Shariat or Islamic laws in matters of state. Therefore, the policy of the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate was largely influenced by their religion viz., Islam.

The state was a military state and the Sultan himself was the supreme commander of his forces.

It was a feudal state, all land was owned by the King.

60. Ans: D

Exp: Baba Farid Ganjshakar (1175-1265), Sheikh Nizamuddin Aulia also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin (1238 – 3 April 1325), Sheikh Nasiruddin Chirage (1274-1356), Syed Muhammad Gesudaraz (july 13, 1321 -November 1, 1422).

61. Ans: D

Exp. Pushyamitra was originally a Senapati «General» of the Maurya Empire. In 185 BCE he assassinated the last Mauryan Emperor, Brihadratha Maurya, during an army review, and proclaimed himself King. Inscriptions of the Shungas have been found as far as the Ayodhya (the Dhanadeva-Ayodhya inscription).

Devabhuti (r. 83 – 73 BCE) also known as Devbhomi, was the last king of the Shunga Empire in ancient India. He was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanva and is said to have been overfond of the company of women.

Susharman was the last king of the Kanva dynasty. Who was killed by Simuk. The defeat of the Kanva dynasty by the Satavahana dynasty was a localized event in Central India.

62. Ans. C

Exp. Ghazal is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A Ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.Ghazal is one of the most widespread and popular poetic forms, especially across the Middle East and South Asia. Readings or musical renditions of Ghazals are well attended in these countries, even by the laity. In a similar manner to Haiku, the Ghazal is gaining popularity among western poetry readers.Ghazal originated in Iran in 10th century CE.

63. Ans: D

Exp. Charkha could provide the poor with supplemented income and make them self reliant.

64. Ans: B

Exp. Pre-Romanesque art and architecture of the Iberian Peninsula refers to the art of Spain and Portugal after the Classical Age and before

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Romanesque art and architecture; hence the term Pre-Romanesque.

65. Ans: C

Exp. Nataraja is a depiction of the Tamil mythology Shaiva Siddhanta as the cosmic ecstatic dancer. His dance is called Tandavam or Nadanta, depending on the context of the dance. upper right hand holds a small drum shaped like an hourglass that is called a ḍamaru in Sanskrit. upper left hand contains Agni or fire, which signifies forces of creation and destruction. lower left hand is bent downwards at the wrist with the palm facing inward (away from the viewer) and points towards the raised left foot so that it is diametrically opposite to the lower right arm (Abhaya mudra). A cobra uncoils from his lower right forearm, while his palm shows the Abhaya mudra.

66. Ans: D

Exp. Barabar Hill Caves are the oldest surviving rock-cut caves in India, mostly dating from the Maurya Empire (322–185 BCE), some with Ashokan inscriptions located in the Bihar. sculptured surround to the entrance to the Lomas Rishi Cave is the earliest survival of the ogee shaped chaitra arch. Barabar Hill contains four caves: Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi, Sudama and Visvakarma. The Barabar caves greatly influenced the tradition of rock-cut architecture. The caves were used by asceties from the Ajivika sect.

67. Ans. B

Exp. Menander I Soter was an Indo-Greek King of the Indo-Greek Kingdom (165/155–130 BC) who administered a large empire in the Northwestern regions of the Indian Subcontinent from his capital at Sagala. Menander is noted for having become a patron of Buddhism.

Menander was initially a king of Bactria.

68. Ans: D

Exp. Hittites were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing an empire centered on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia around 1600 BC. This empire reached its height during the mid-14th century BC under Suppiluliuma I, when it encompassed an area that included most of Anatolia as well as parts of the northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia.

Kharosthi script, also spelled Kharoshthi or Kharoṣṭhī, was an ancient Indian script used in ancient Gandhara(now Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan a Mahajanapada of ancient India, to write Gandhari Prakrit and Sanskrit. It was popular in Central Asia as well. An abugida, it was introduced at least by the middle of the 3rd century BCE, possibly during the 4th century BCE, and remained in use until it died out in its homeland around the 3rd century CE.[It was also in use in Bactria, the Kushan Empire, Sogdia and along the Silk Road, where there is some evidence it may have survived until the 7th century in the remote way stations of Khotan and Niya.

Mitanni also called Hanigalbat in Assyrian or Naharin in Egyptian texts, was a Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and southeast Anatolia from c. 1500 to 1300 BC. Mitanni came to be a regional power after the Hittite destruction of Amorite Babylon and a series of ineffectual Assyrian kings created a power vacuum in Mesopotamia.

69. Ans: B

Exp. Mauryans used punch marked coins to trade.Pillars were made of single piece of buff colored sandstone. They introduced burnt bricks and ring well,above all rise of town in North Eastern region for the first time.

70. Ans: C

Exp. Tholkāppiyam is a work on the grammar of the Tamil languageand the earliest extant work of Tamil literature and linguistics. It is written in the form of noorpaa or short formulaic compositions and comprises three books – the Ezhuttadikaram, the Solladikaram and the Poruladikaram.

71. Ans: B

Exp: Ghari was tax on Houses. It was introduced by Allauddin Khilji.

Zakat was religious tax levied on Muslims. This was kept in the special treasury of Diwan-i-Rasalat headed by Dabir-i-Mulk.

Jizya was tax levied on non Muslims and non followers of Islam.

Kharaz was tax levied on gross production of lands belonged to non - Muslims. It was introduced by Firoj Shah Tuglaq.

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72. Ans: C

73. Ans: C

Exp: Fire Altar - Kalibangan and Lothal

Bangle Factory – Chanhudaro

74. Ans: D

Exp. Fatwa-i-Jahandari has been written by Ziauddin Barani.Tughlaq Nama is written by Amir Khushrow.

Yahya bin Ahmad Sirhindi was a 15th century Indian chronicler who wrote Tarikh-i-Mubarak Shahi, a Persian language chronicle of the Delhi Sultanate. Written during the reign of Mubarak Shah, his work is an important source of information for the Sayyid dynasty. He wrote Tarikh-i-Mubarakshahi.

75. Ans: B

Exp. Descent of the Ganges is a monument at Mamallapuram, on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the Kancheepuram,Tamil Nadu. The legend depicted in the relief is the story of the descent of the sacred river Ganges to earth from the heavens led by Bhagiratha. The waters of the Ganges are believed to possess supernatural powers. The descent of the Ganges and Arjuna’s Penance are portrayed in stone at the Pallava heritage site.The relief is more of a canvas of Indian rock cut sculpture at its best not seen anywhere in India.It is one of the Group of Monuments at Mamallapuram that were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.

76. Ans: B

Exp. India slipped two points on the World Press Freedom Index ranking compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RWB), 2018 World Press Freedom Index reflects growing bitterness towards journalists.. RSF publishes the World Press Freedom Index each year since 2002 and it measures the level of media freedom in 180 countries. India is ranked 138 in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, down two places from 2017, in the latest annual report.

Sri Lank--131,Maldives--120,Bhutan--94.

77. Ans: D

Exp. India is ranked 10th in the world with 24.4% land area under forest cover. Chhattisgarh—55547 sq.km, Arunachal—66964 sq.km,MP—77414 sq.km.Report 2017 revealed that mangrove cover has increased by 181 sq.km.

78. Ans: A

Exp. Gaia is a space observatory of the European Space Agency (ESA) designed for astrometry: measuring the positions and distances of stars with unprecedented precision. The mission aims to construct by far the largest and most precise 3D space catalog ever made.

79. Ans: B

Exp. International Energy Agency is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.

India, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Morocco, Singapore are the associate members.

80. Ans: B

Exp. The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR) is an emergency fuel store of total 5.33 MMT (million metric tons) of strategic crude oilenough to provide 10 days of consumption which are maintained by the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited. Strategic crude oil storages are at three underground locations in Mangalore, Visakhapatnam and Padur.

81. Ans: C

Exp. Hyper-velocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response (HAMMER) is a concept study by NASA on a spacecraft capable of detonating a nuclear bomb to deflect an asteroid, if it was on a collision course to Earth. The study is a collaboration between the National Nuclear Security Administration, NASA, and two Energy Department weapons labs.

82. Ans: D

Exp. All the three countries surrounds Lake Victoria.

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83. Ans: A

Exp. Why in News? The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Deoghar, Jharkhand under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) aims at correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. It envisages setting up of AIIMS-like institutes and upgradation of existing Government Medical Colleges/ Institutions in various parts of the country.

84. Ans: C

Exp. Spratly Islands are a disputed group of islands, islets and cays and more than 100 reefs, sometimes grouped in submerged old atolls, in the South China Sea.

85. Ans: D

Exp. Union Home Minister chairs the third meeting of the Island Development Agency (IDA) . The Island Development Agency reviewed the progress made towards preparation of Development Plans for identified Islands (four in

A&N Islands i.e. Smith, Ross, Long, Avis and five in Lakshadweep i.e. Minicoy, Bangaram, Thinnakara, Cheriyam, Suheli). For these Islands, Final Site Suitability Reports have been prepared, Carrying Capacity determined and Environmental zoning carried out to ensure sustainable development.

86. Ans: D

Exp. Why in News? India has urged the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to invest in health and fintech startups in the country, to help improve the quality of life in Asia while sharpening focus on infrastructure lending by ensuring loan disbursals within a year of request.

Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of , Philippines. ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with members’ capital subscriptions. It was established in 1966.

87. Ans: C

Exp. Why in News? Border Roads Organisation (BRO) celebrated its 58th Raising Day on 7 May 2018. BRO is leading government organisation in arena of infrastructural development in the

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border areas of the country.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) develops and maintains road networks in India’s border areas and friendly neighbouring countries. It is staffed by officers and troops drawn from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Military Police and army personnel on extra regimental employment. Officers from the Border Roads Engineering Service and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the Border Roads Organization .It works under Defence ministry.

88. Ans: C

Exp. Indus river dolphin is now found only in the main channel of the Indus River in Pakistan and active channels connected to it between the Jinnah and Kotri barrages. It is endangered in IUCN Red List.

89. Ans: D

Exp. Black Panther – Vulnerable, Bugun Liocichla–

Critically Endangered; Irrawaddy Dolphin – Endangered

90. Ans: D

Exp. New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank, is a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). According to the Agreement on the NDB, “the Bank shall support public or private projects through loans, guarantees, equity participation and other financial instruments.

The bank is headquartered in Shanghai, China. The first regional office of the NDB is in Johannesburg.

Each member state has equal voting rights in NDB.

91. Ans: D

Exp. Nepal is land locked between India and China. Lesotho and Estawini are land locked countries in South Africa, a BRICS nation.

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92. Ans: B

Exp. India has ranked fourth out of 25 nations in the Asia-Pacific region on an index that measures their overall power, with the country being pegged as a “giant of the future” but trails behind in indicators of defence networks and economic relationships.

The Lowy Institute Asia Power Index measures power across 25 countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific region, reaching as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand and the US.A country’s overall power is its weighted average across eight measures of power—economic resources, military capability, resilience, future trends, diplomatic influence, economic relationships, defence networks and cultural influence.

93. Ans: C

Exp. POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission - NNM) set up by Government on November, 2017 aims to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies. India signed a loan agreement with World bank recently for the implementation. This falls under Ministry of Women and Child Development.

94. Ans: B

Exp. Exercise Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Peace Mission 2018, was conducted in Chebarkul, Russia with military contingents of the all eight SCO member nations participating in this exercise.

95. Ans: A

Exp. Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has launched the GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) - DHAN scheme. The scheme is being implemented as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste. The scheme also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural people.

96. Ans: C

Exp. Why in News? Law Commission of India (LCI)

in its 275th report has recommended to bring BCCI under RTI act.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is the national governing body for cricket in India.The board was formed in December 1928 as a society, registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975.Its headquarter is in Mumbai.

Lodha committee recommended for bringing BCCI under RTI.

97. Ans: B

Exp. Advocate General is appointed by the Governor of respective state. As per civil Procedure code, High courts have original appellate, writ and supervisory jurisdiction at the state level.

98. Ans: C

Exp. Why in News? A recent study has found that destruction of the ozone layer may have contributed to the largest mass extinction in the history of Earth, known as the End-Permian Extinction.

Ozone is the product of UV rays acting on O2 molecules. UV rays splits molecular oxygen in to free oxygen atoms. These atoms combine with the molecular oxygen to form ozone. Ozone is thermodynamically unstable and decomposes to molecular oxygen, main reason for the ozone depletion is believed to be release of freons or CFCs.

99. Ans: A

Exp. Sangrai dance is a traditional Indian dance performed by the Mog tribal community on the occasion of Sangrai festival during the month of Chaitra (in April). It originated in Tripura,. Mogs are Buddhist and have the close affinity with Burmese Buddhism. On 26th January, 2018, on India’s Republic day, Rajpath witnessed for the first time a traditional dance of the Mog tribe of Tripura, the land of plentiful myths and legends.

100. Ans: D

Exp. National Mission for Clean Ganga asks Delhi Development authority to expedite Asita which is Yamuna River Frontt project to restore revive and rejuvenate Yamuna flood plain.

explanations...exp: a brahmin is a member of the highest caste or ‘status’ in the indian caste...

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